Two Feet In with Coach Heather Macy Coach Heather Macy

Karen Barefoot, a nationally-known women’s basketball coach who has  built successful programs at four different institutions, finished her  fourth season as the 11th head coach in UNCW women’s basketball history  during the 2020-21 campaign.

Barefoot, 48, has brought winning back to UNCW over the last four years,  with the Seahawks posting 47 victories, including an 18-12 record in  2018-19 that secured the team’s first winning season in seven years. The  Seahawks also authored a 13-1 mark inside Trask Coliseum, matching the  program record for home wins in a single season.

UNCW posted seven victories during the 2020-21 season, which included a  victory over the College of Charleston in the opening round of the CAA  Women's Basketball Championship. A pair of student-athletes were  recognized by the CAA's head coaches as Carol-Anne Obusek received  Second-Team All-CAA notice, while Za'Nautica Downs earned the league's  Sixth Player of the Year award in addition to a place on the All-CAA  Third Team. 

Under Barefoot's tutelage, the Seahawks registered 10 wins during the  2019-20 campaign, including six victories in Colonial Athletic  Association regular season play. UNCW fashioned a 69-55 victory over  Charleston in the opening game of the CAA Women's Basketball  Championship before the tournament was cut short due to COVID-19. 

Barefoot's squad had three student-athletes recognized with CAA  postseason awards, including senior guard Lacey Suggs, who was named CAA  Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Redshirt senior guard  GiGi Smith, the Seahawks' leading scorer, was a Third-Team All-CAA  performer, while senior guard Ahyiona Vason earned a spot on the  league's All-Defensive Team. 

UNCW earned a share of third place in the CAA regular season standings  in 2018-19 after finishing with an 11-7 conference record. The Seahawks  were the only team to defeat CAA regular season champion James Madison  during league play, posting a 66-63 victory at Trask Coliseum on Jan.  18.

As a result of the Seahawks’ improvement, a trio of student-athletes  earned All-CAA distinction by the league’s head coaches, marking the  first time in program history three UNCW players have received a spot on  the all-conference team in the same season. Smith and redshirt senior  guard Shrita Parker were tabbed Second-Team All-CAA while Suggs was a  Third-Team selection.

In her first year with the Seahawks, Barefoot guided the squad to its  best start in 10 years after UNCW authored a 7-4 non-conference record,  including a 6-0 start at Trask Coliseum. The Seahawks closed out the  season with three wins in their final five games, including a 58-47  victory over Towson in the first round of the CAA Tournament.

Barefoot has also made an impact in the Wilmington community during her  three years at UNCW. She was featured in the April 2019 edition of WILMA  Magazine and was a nominee for the Cape Fear YWCA Woman of the Year  Award in May 2019.

Barefoot took over the UNCW program after six successful seasons at Old  Dominion, where she guided the Lady Monarchs to a 103-93 record,  including five winning seasons and three postseason appearances.

Danielle O’Banion was named the 12th head women’s basketball coach at Loyola University Maryland in April, 2021.

O’Banion brings 20 years of Division I coaching experience to the  Greyhounds, most-recently serving her second stint as an assistant at  the University of Minnesota over the past three seasons. Her teams have  combined for 10 postseason appearances, including five NCAA tournaments  and one run to the Final Four.

“I am so excited to welcome Danielle O’Banion to the Loyola Athletics  family as our next head women’s basketball coach,” said Donna M.  Woodruff, Loyola's Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics.  “It was very clear through our process that Coach O’Banion was the right  person to lead our program moving forward. She brings an impressive  combination of coaching expertise, successful playing experience and a  demonstrated commitment to developing the women in our program as  exceptional leaders, student-athletes and citizens while on-campus and  well after graduation. The future is very bright with Danielle as the  leader of Loyola women’s basketball.”

Originally from Arlington, Virginia, O’Banion returns to the  Mid-Atlantic after coaching stints at Minnesota, Memphis, Kent State and  Harvard. A standout recruiter who has brought in four Top-50 classes  during her career, she has also held multiple leadership positions  within both the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and  Advocates for Athletic Equity (formerly Black Coaches and  Administrators).

“I believe in Loyola University Maryland, and I am honored that Loyola  believes in me,” O’Banion said. “I am especially grateful to Vice  President Dr. Robert Kelly and Director of Athletics Donna Woodruff for  entrusting me with the future of our Loyola women’s basketball program.  Loyola, its ideals and the city of Baltimore are a championship  combination, and I am eager to begin the work of building a Greyhounds  women’s basketball championship tradition.”

O’Banion rejoined Minnesota in 2018 following a two-year stint as  associate head coach at Memphis. During the past three seasons with the  Golden Gophers, she worked primarily with the post players while also  playing a key role in recruiting. Recent additions to the program  include Alexia Smith, the first five-star recruit in program history,  and 2020 Big Ten All-Freshman honoree Jasmine Powell.

Originally an assistant at Minnesota from 2002-07, O’Banion’s first  assistant stint coincided with the best five-year run in team history.  The Golden Gophers made four-consecutive NCAA tournaments, advancing to  one Final Four (2004) and two Sweet Sixteens (2003, 2005); they also  added a WNIT appearance in 2007. O’Banion worked primarily with the  backcourt, coaching four All-Big Ten selections and one Kodak  All-American (current Minnesota head coach Lindsay Whalen).

O’Banion then spent four years at Memphis from 2008-12, earning a  promotion to associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the  final three seasons. She helped bring in the No. 1-ranked recruiting  classes in Conference USA (Top 50 nationally) in each of her first two  years on-campus, and her 2011 recruiting class was the highest-ranked in  program history. Those recruits succeeded on the court with Memphis  winning 78 games during her four seasons while making three postseason  appearances.

Jervorah  has been involve with basketball over 20 years as a player and coach.  She served as an collegiate basketball player at Belmont Abbey and later  pursued professional. She was the assistant coach, with varsity girls  Basketball for Ware Shoals High for two years and Mauldin High School  for a year. After having that experience she later realize, that wasn’t  her passion.

While  at BAC in the CVAC conference, she earned many awards in her career.  She was MVP CVAC All-Tournament (2001-2002), Honorable  Mention(2003-2004), First Team, and Most Defensive Player, made the 1000  point Club (2005) and Lead Steal her entire college career.



However,  in high school she was South Carolina Miss Basketball 1A in (1999) ,  MVP, All-Conference, All-Region, All Lakeland, Selected for North and  South All-star team, Player of the Year and lead steals. Jervorah  started Playing Varsity basketball in the 8th grade.

In Addition of playing the game she love, Jervorah started an professional path in furthering her

education  and career path. She worked as an HR Recruiter for Temp Agent and  currently hold a position as a Process Supporter at BMW.

During  Jervorah Leisure time, she love spending it with her family and  friends. She is Married to Andrew Goosby, with their one son named  Micah. She enjoy loving on her boys (Godson(s)/Nephews) watching them  grow up and play sports. Also, she love to travel, eat, and laugh.  Jervorah enjoy volunteering her spare time to Children Camps in her  Community and working with kids with disabilities. Furthermore her motto  is to Push other to accomplish there Goals, while being a impact to  others. She believe in Helping others is her “WHY”.

Brianna Finch joined the Boston University women's basketball staff in  June, 2021 as the program's assistant coach/recruiting coordinator.

Owning nearly 20 years of coaching experience, Finch served as  Davidson's director of player development for the past year, where she  assisted with opponent scouting, film analysis, player development and  recruiting efforts. Prior to her time with with the Wildcats, Finch  spent a year as an assistant coach at Florida International  University and spent the prior three seasons on staff at Barry  University. 

Finch additionally led the New Mexico Highlands University program for  two seasons and got her first head coaching position with the Lemvig  Basketball Club in Denmark in 2013.

A dynamic recruiter on the national and international level, Finch was  selected as one of 30 participants for the 2019 Women's Basketball  Coaches Association's NEXT UP program.

Finch received her bachelor's degree in 2002 in business  administration/marketing from Sonoma State and completed her master's of  arts in human performance and sport from New Mexico Highlands in 2018.

Anne Hurd is a 1981 Alumna of Greensboro College. She is the Vice President for Advancement & Admissions of her alma mater. You can reach Anne at Anne.Hurd@greensboro.edu.

Anne Jones Hurd, the daughter of a Greensboro College alumna and the college’s longtime former business manager, joined the staff in August 2015 as vice president and chief advancement officer.

She earned a master’s in Applied Communication at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). She has served in senior fund-raising and advancement positions at three private educational institutions in Greensboro: Canterbury School, Guilford College, and Greensboro Day School. During her tenure, those institutions successfully completed capital campaigns and related fundraising programs.

Hurd has served as chair of the Greensboro College Alumni Association and on the Board of Trustees, whose Institutional Advancement Committee she chaired.

Please contact Jody at the following email address jody.adams@siu.edu. 

Jody Adams-Birch enters her third season on Cindy Stein's staff at Southern Illinois, and her first as the associate head coach.

In her second season on staff, the Salukis posted their sixth-straight winning record. Southern defeated a ranked opponent (Missouri State) for the first time since 1991 and the Salukis finished with a RPI of 105, its highest since 2007. SIU’s four top-100 wins during the 2019-20 season were its most since at least 2002. The Salukis also repeated as Compass Challenge Champions and Nicole Martin and Makenzie Silvey were both selected to the All-MVC honorable mention team while Brittney Patrick earned her first career All-Defensive Team honor.

A 1994 graduate of Tennessee, Adams-Birch played four seasons for the Lady Vols under legendary head coach Pat Summitt, and was the starting point guard for three Southeastern Conference Championship teams. The Lady Vols advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of her four years and captured the NCAA’s ultimate prize with a national championship in 1991. She began her coaching career as a student assistant with the Lady Vols in 1993.